Objective: only a few studies have documented thepresence of pathological periodic leg movements duringsleep (PLMs) in patients with epilepsy. The aim of thisretrospective analysis was to evaluate the existence of associationbetween PLMs and epilepsy.Materials and methods: patients monitored withVideo-Polysomnography in our hospital in the last yearwith diagnosis of epilepsy, were screened retrospectivelyfor the presence of PLM index > 5. Criteria of exclusionwere: age over 60 and the presence of Obstructive SleepApnea (OSA), Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), REMSleep Behaviour Disorder (RBD), NeurodegenerativeDisease or therapy with antidepressant and/or antidopaminergicdrugs.Results: we considered 85 patients with epilepsy. Ninepatients (20%) had pathological PLMs (12 women, 5men; age of 42,4±9,8 years).Twelve of them (70%) had a temporal lobe epilepsy, two(11%) had frontal lobe epilepsy and three (17%) had juvenilemyoclonic epilepsy. Myoclonic movements occurredmainly in the first half of the night, coincidingwith N2, with mild to moderate severity. They had a distributionthat made them more similar to PLMs in RLS,than those associated with neurodegenerative diseases.Discussion and conclusions: our study confirms thepresence of PLMs in patients with epilepsy. It could beexplained by the fragmented structure of sleep oftenfound in epileptic patients and secondary to epilepticdischarges. Given the dopaminergic nature of PLMs,their presence in epilepsy could strengthen the role ofdopamine in the pathophysiology of epilepsy.Key words: epilepsy, sleep disorders, periodic leg moveObjective: only a few studies have documented thepresence of pathological periodic leg movements duringsleep (PLMs) in patients with epilepsy. The aim of thisretrospective analysis was to evaluate the existence of associationbetween PLMs and epilepsy.Materials and methods: patients monitored withVideo-Polysomnography in our hospital in the last yearwith diagnosis of epilepsy, were screened retrospectivelyfor the presence of PLM index > 5. Criteria of exclusionwere: age over 60 and the presence of Obstructive SleepApnea (OSA), Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), REMSleep Behaviour Disorder (RBD), NeurodegenerativeDisease or therapy with antidepressant and/or antidopaminergicdrugs.Results: we considered 85 patients with epilepsy. Ninepatients (20%) had pathological PLMs (12 women, 5men; age of 42,4±9,8 years).Twelve of them (70%) had a temporal lobe epilepsy, two(11%) had frontal lobe epilepsy and three (17%) had juvenilemyoclonic epilepsy. Myoclonic movements occurredmainly in the first half of the night, coincidingwith N2, with mild to moderate severity. They had a distributionthat made them more similar to PLMs in RLS,than those associated with neurodegenerative diseases.Discussion and conclusions: our study confirms thepresence of PLMs in patients with epilepsy. It could beexplained by the fragmented structure of sleep oftenfound in epileptic patients and secondary to epilepticdischarges. Given the dopaminergic nature of PLMs,their presence in epilepsy could strengthen the role ofdopamine in the pathophysiology of epilepsy.

Movimenti periodici agli arti inferiori durante sonno (PLMs) ed epilessia: associazione o comorbidità?

SOFIA, Vito;ZAPPIA, MARIO
2012-01-01

Abstract

Objective: only a few studies have documented thepresence of pathological periodic leg movements duringsleep (PLMs) in patients with epilepsy. The aim of thisretrospective analysis was to evaluate the existence of associationbetween PLMs and epilepsy.Materials and methods: patients monitored withVideo-Polysomnography in our hospital in the last yearwith diagnosis of epilepsy, were screened retrospectivelyfor the presence of PLM index > 5. Criteria of exclusionwere: age over 60 and the presence of Obstructive SleepApnea (OSA), Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), REMSleep Behaviour Disorder (RBD), NeurodegenerativeDisease or therapy with antidepressant and/or antidopaminergicdrugs.Results: we considered 85 patients with epilepsy. Ninepatients (20%) had pathological PLMs (12 women, 5men; age of 42,4±9,8 years).Twelve of them (70%) had a temporal lobe epilepsy, two(11%) had frontal lobe epilepsy and three (17%) had juvenilemyoclonic epilepsy. Myoclonic movements occurredmainly in the first half of the night, coincidingwith N2, with mild to moderate severity. They had a distributionthat made them more similar to PLMs in RLS,than those associated with neurodegenerative diseases.Discussion and conclusions: our study confirms thepresence of PLMs in patients with epilepsy. It could beexplained by the fragmented structure of sleep oftenfound in epileptic patients and secondary to epilepticdischarges. Given the dopaminergic nature of PLMs,their presence in epilepsy could strengthen the role ofdopamine in the pathophysiology of epilepsy.Key words: epilepsy, sleep disorders, periodic leg moveObjective: only a few studies have documented thepresence of pathological periodic leg movements duringsleep (PLMs) in patients with epilepsy. The aim of thisretrospective analysis was to evaluate the existence of associationbetween PLMs and epilepsy.Materials and methods: patients monitored withVideo-Polysomnography in our hospital in the last yearwith diagnosis of epilepsy, were screened retrospectivelyfor the presence of PLM index > 5. Criteria of exclusionwere: age over 60 and the presence of Obstructive SleepApnea (OSA), Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), REMSleep Behaviour Disorder (RBD), NeurodegenerativeDisease or therapy with antidepressant and/or antidopaminergicdrugs.Results: we considered 85 patients with epilepsy. Ninepatients (20%) had pathological PLMs (12 women, 5men; age of 42,4±9,8 years).Twelve of them (70%) had a temporal lobe epilepsy, two(11%) had frontal lobe epilepsy and three (17%) had juvenilemyoclonic epilepsy. Myoclonic movements occurredmainly in the first half of the night, coincidingwith N2, with mild to moderate severity. They had a distributionthat made them more similar to PLMs in RLS,than those associated with neurodegenerative diseases.Discussion and conclusions: our study confirms thepresence of PLMs in patients with epilepsy. It could beexplained by the fragmented structure of sleep oftenfound in epileptic patients and secondary to epilepticdischarges. Given the dopaminergic nature of PLMs,their presence in epilepsy could strengthen the role ofdopamine in the pathophysiology of epilepsy.
2012
EPILEPSY; SLEEP DISORDERS; PLMS
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11769/54259
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